A Happy Surprise: Awaiting Baby #6

In October, our family got a happy surprise. Though we were (and still are) actively waiting to adopt again, I'm pregnant! (Due early July.) We weren't trying for a pregnancy -- no medications, no timetables -- rather, we've just been extraordinarily blessed once again. After years of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, this new pregnancy came as an absolute shock. In fact, I still feel stunned, unprepared, and completely undeserving of such a blessing a large majority of the time. I am so very grateful.

We made it through the first trimester without any significant upsets. There were a couple of precarious appointments initially, primarily related to those early first sonograms looking for the heart beat, but the issues we had were related to necessary date adjustments and not to any poor development of the baby. My initial due date was adjusted by eight days, and now baby and I are measuring right on target.

Me at 18 weeks pregnant

Another fun tidbit: this baby is a boy! After a run of little ladies, it's finally time for a little more testosterone. A misread sonogram and a misread genetic test initially led us to believe this tiny one was another little lady, but my Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist both reread the genetic test ("Y chromosome indicated") and provided us with several clear ultrasonic images of baby boy parts. There's no denying it, and James and Bub couldn't be more thrilled! Now, if we could only decide on a name...

Waving Hello

It's a Boy!

Because I blinked, and November was gone...

James has been asking me repeatedly if I was through blogging. "No," I'd tell him, "I've just been busy." I really didn't think my lack of blogging was as bad as he was letting on, particularly since he has a tendency to exaggerate such minutiae, but then he mentioned that a couple of coworkers asked when I might post next. When men I don't even know begin to inquire about my blogging schedule, it's probably time to step things up a bit.

This morning, I began to look back through my unposted photos, and I realized I've failed to post so much! While I have been extraordinarily busy, I've not been so busy to explain such a lack of blogging commitment, and for that, I do apologize (particularly to those guys I don't know).

To make up for lost time, I'll be posting about all of November today, right now in fact, in order to fill in the gaps. I've decided instead of one enormous post incorporating the missed parts of the month, I'll backdate individual posts to their appropriate date and link to them all here. A mass uploadicus of sorts. Enjoy!

November 1: Halloween 2008: The Year of Fake Hair
November 3: Adoption Intake Interview Scheduled
November 3: The Comedy of Errors at Bass Hall (New Post!)
November 4: The Stinky Cheese Man at Casa Mañana (New Post!)
November 6: The Banning of the Bits and Pieces
November 7: Unless the Corn has a Face...
November 7: Frugal Friday Linkage
November 11: Because Sometimes Sweet Tea Just Isn't Enough
November 11: Everything Looks Better in the Dark
November 12: On Nights Like Tonight
November 13: Favorite Homeschool Resource
November 14: Frugal Friday Linkage
November 14: Lunchtime Playdate
November 14: The Asian Market and My Attempt at Lumpia (New Post!)
November 14: My Christmas Wish Does Not Involve Toothpaste
November 15: In a Word...
November 15: Final Games and First Trophies (New Post!)
November 16: Bub's Family Birthday Fun (New Post!)
November 18: When a Stick Becomes a Pet (New Post!)
November 20: "My Crismas Top 10 List" by Gracie
November 21: Frugal Friday Linkage: Thanksgiving Edition
November 22: Adoption Intake Interview and Education Seminar (New Post!)
November 22: Thanksgiving with the In-Laws (New Post!)
November 25: Homeschool Field Trip to the Log Cabin Village (New Post!)
November 26: A Pizza Playdate for the Birthday Boy (New Post!)
November 27: A Joyous Thanksgiving and the Tale of Milo the Lost(New Post!)
November 28: Frugal Friday Linkage: Black Friday Edition
November 29: Bring on the Christmas! (New Post!)

The Stinky Cheese Man at Casa Mañana

We joined a local homeschool group to see The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales at Casa Mañana. "The play is based on the award-winning picture book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith. The Stinky Cheese Man plays havoc with traditional fairy tales as characters slide in and out of each other's tales, often mixing stories and changing information in ridiculous ways.*"

The kids enjoyed the stage setting and the costumes, and they really liked the Stinky Cheese Man. They did not like the mixing up of the other tales, though. More than once, I had to whisper back, "I know that's not how the story goes." The best part of the whole day was getting to spend time with other homeschool kids who live in our area -- in our neighborhood, even -- working on some new friendships. Later, we went to lunch with a lady who lives three streets over and a friend of hers whose daughters will be on Gracie's cheer squad this winter.

A Lovely Morning at Casa Mañana

Becoming Good Friends


Before The Stinky Cheese Man:
Playing in the Echo Sculpture at The Modern

*(Source: NWCTS, p.3)
photo credit: mypapercrane.com

The Comedy of Errors at Bass Hall

We took advantage of the The Children's Education program at Ball Hall in Fort Worth, and saw The Comedy of Errors from the Aquila Theatre Company. This production of "Shakespeare for a New Generation" was wonderful!

The story is that of a husband and wife who bear a set of twins. They then buy a set of twin servants for their sons, but later, the family is separated during an accident at sea. The mother, one son, and one servant float one way, while the father, another son, and another servant float another. Each group thinks the other has perished among the waves. Later, the son and servant of the father go on an adventure to the town where their twins live, and the comedy of errors begins. Wives confuse their husbands, merchants confuse their debtors, jailers confuse their prisoners. It's a hilarious tale of near misses and silly circumstances, and is a story worth hearing time and again.

The most amazing aspect of this production: the actors stuck to the original language of Shakespeare's writing, but the costumes, mannerisms, and tone of voice were all quite modern. For the younger child, a production like this told the story when the words were hard to follow. For the older child (or adult), the production helped make sense of difficult verbage. It helped to bring it all into context, making it comprehensible. I hope when my children are ready to being reading Shakespeare, we find a similar production, making their longterm study that much easier.

Ta Da!


Bass Hall




Tickets in Hand



Pictures from a Purse
(Flash photography isn't allowed in Bass Hall,
so I took these from my purse, flash off...)




A Pre-Show Snuggle


Curtain Call for Gracie before the Last Act

Thoughts on the Theatre and a Rant on Respect

Way back in July, James gave me tickets for The Color Purple, a musical based on Alice Walker's novel of the same name. Evidently, since Stephen Spielburg made the movie, there's been talk of a musical. Who knew? About the musical, it was so, so good. The music was incredible, and truly captured the emotion behind the story. There were three chattering gossips who acted as living, breathing segues between scenes. The characters were bigger than life, so talented and believable.

I've wondered all summer how some of the racier scenes from the movie would be handled. Suffice it to say that there was enough clarity in the sexual relationship between Master and Celie without it being unbearable. The relationship between Harpo and Sophia was fun and refreshing. In fact, Sophia's bigger-than-life character was probably my favorite of all. (Here's a link to the song "Hell No" from the scene where Celie told Harpo to beat Sophia in order to make her mind -- and before you attack me for being a proponent for domestic violence, read the book.)

My only complaint about this area, and really about the musical as a whole, was the fact that more seemed to be made of the relationship between Celie and Shug Avery. What I perceived as a deeply intimate friendship between two people who lacked love and affection was turned into something that seemed more sexual. Maybe I missed an important part of the story, but that's a big jump. All in all, though, The Color Purple as a musical is incredible and is a must-see.

(Pulls out soapbox...)

What I do have to complain about is the clear absence of respect among fellow audience members. My family growing up was not a theatre-going bunch (unless you're talking about the movie theatre), so I didn't necessarily learn anything about how to manage myself in venues of the performing arts from them. However, my fifth grade music teacher hauled a whole bunch of us down to the Tulsa Opera House to see The Mikado, and there she taught us the basics of theatre etiquette.

Things like:

• don't wear jeans to a production (and certainly not the shorts, tank tops, and fanny packs we saw yesterday).
• arrive in time to take your seat before the curtain rises (instead of coming in in droves long after the performance starts and standing in the darkened aisle hoping to read your ticketed seat assignment, meanwhile blocking the view of other theatregoers).
• unless you find yourself in an emergency sort of situation, stay in your seat until intermission (and don't even think about heading in and out for Diet Cokes and T-Shirts because we're not at the circus, people).
• if you do find yourself in a state of emergency and have to leave the theatre, do not come back in until intermission (because way back then, the ushers would not allow your return. Now, though, I guess anything goes).
• with the exception of the occasional whispered voice, there should be no talking in the theatre (because it's disruptive to and disrespectful of the performers on stage as well as the other attendees).
• take your seats when the lights dim and rise after intermission, as this is a clue that the performance is about to get underway once again (instead of assuming there must be something wrong with the building's electrical system and taking your sweet time, only to come in late once again).
• turn off your cell phone (actually, she didn't say that because there weren't cell phones way back then, but really, does it even need to be said? Again, not the circus -- though I even turn my phone off at the circus. Am I the only one?).

I know many art programs have been reduced or eliminated from schools altogether, but still, many of these issues are related to basic consideration and general respect for your fellow man. As a homeschooling mom (and really, just as a mom who cares), I feel fortunate that my kids don't have to wait until fifth grade or later to get these lessons, but as a person living in today's society, I feel sad that they are among the few who will be taught.

photo credit: talkingbroadway.com

Mueck at The Modern

Amy and I spent the morning at The Modern in Forth Worth. We went to see the Ron Mueck exhibit, which is amazing. These sculptures are so lifelike, and so powerful in their varying sizes.

I had two favorites:

I liked the "Spooning Couple" because the sculpures were so lifelike, and yet, so small. They looked like little imps, but appeared as human as you or I. Their size made me think of the miniature people in Gulliver's Travels. They were positioned in a post-coital way, which added a peculiar sensuality to the work. Though the man was bottomless, the woman wore panties, and that addition added a sense of irony to the work. Because they in every other way appeared to have just been intimate, I wonder if she was intended to be totally nude (she had no other clothes besides the panties on), but if Mueck just could not leave her exposed.

(The female sculpure in the "Spooning Couple" resembled the huge reclining woman, so we wondered if she was a familiar subject. If she was a wife, mother, sister, or friend of Mueck's, could he just not leave her out there for all the world to see?)

One interesting thing to note is that in looking online at other female sculpures Mueck has done, the only time the female genitals are exposed is when it relates to childbirth: while pregnant, having just given birth, or as a baby. I cannot find any other fully nude female form at all. Perhaps to Mueck, the female genitals are unrevealable unless it related to procreation and the continuation of life.

Here is a picture of the Artist, Ron Mueck, with the "Spooning Couple."

My other favorite was a sculpture of an enormous baby entitled "A Girl." This baby was enormous, but the detail on it was so unreal. Mueck didn't miss a detail, and this sculpture made us really wonder how he gathers subjects for his work. Newborn babies have that newly born look for a mere moment in time. Once they get that first bath and diapering, that bloody new look, along with that first peek at the Earth, can never be seen again. And yet, Mueck captured it fully in his work. His work was so detailed that on the back of the baby, where doctor's thumbs would have landed, there are two "bloody" fingerprints. No detail was left unnoticed. Here are several shots of "The Girl," including one that shows part of those thumbprints.

Ron Mueck, the artist, is in the right front.
He looks so young, especially to be so brilliant and so talented.

This is "A Girl" during the installation at The Modern.
We weren't allowed to take our own photos today, so I swiped these from Flickr.
This gives you an idea of how big and spectacular this baby is.

This is "A Girl" from the back.
Notice the bloody thumbprints around the lower shoulder blades (particularly at the bottom).

If you haven't gotten enough of Mueck, here is a link to a photo slideshow of the installation of his work at The Modern. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/themodern/906978237/> and a video of his work:

Click To Play

Admission is free at The Modern on Wednesdays, and the Mueck exhibit is on display for a couple more weeks, I think. NOTE: there is a lot of nudity in this exhibit -- it is not for the faint of heart or for question-asking children.

Wholly Boisterous and Full of Pride.

Right now I'm in a British Literature class, and because it's a web-based course, we have to post several times a week to a Discussion Board in the place of classroom participation. This week, we're reading and writing about Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. I received a lovely compliment about a post I made, and wanted to record it.

I wrote this:

Q: Why do you think the author deliberately creates so many parallels between the exchanges (of blows, of gifts) and the days of the hunt and seduction?

A: I think the author deliberately creates the parallels between the all the exchanges and the days of the hunt and seduction to point out the hypocrisy of the court. I think this idea is further solidified by Gawain's initial claims to Arthur and his court about him only having value as Arthur's nephew, as well as by the dramatic presentation of his arms branded by the mark of chivalry as he went off to fulfill his commitment to the Green Knight, and finally by the beautiful reputation than preceded him in the new court in which he now resided. I think these things were set up to portray Gawain in one way to provide a shock factor when he behaved in another.

As for the exchanges, none of them were done in a simple way, but rather each of them came with a boisterous promise and dramatic vow before a large audience of noblemen and women. I believe this was done in this way in order to prove how each party in the exchange was honest and generous, pious and chivalrous, brave and honorable. There was never a quiet agreement between two men of integrity, but rather a big show every time, every day, with every vow.

While the Lord of the house rode off to the hunt to fulfill his end of the bargain, Sir Gawain stayed behind and became the hunted. He was pursued by the Lady of the house, and the spouse of his bargaining partner. As the Lord battled his unwilling prey, Gawain as prey over and over again gave in willingly to sweet words and hidden kisses. At the end of the night, he would hear the boasts of the hunting champion and would again brazenly vow to fully exchange all of his profits, all the while remaining quiet about the profit of love that was gaining in value day by day. Gawain was not fully honest, he was not fully chivalrous, and his bravery in this situation went only so far to meet the needs of a young man smitten by a woman he could not fully have.

A Classmate's Reply to my Post:

I not only agree with your assessment, I am more than a little envious (color me green?) of your writing ability. I mentally compared your submission with mine and wonder why I spent so much time rehashing the events when they really don’t have all that much to do with the question. You stated your premise at the beginning where it should be while I buried mine almost at the end. I found the basis for your conclusion to be clear, concise and on point without being terrible dry. Take me to your writing teacher!

Late Night at the DMA

"All children are artists.

The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

-- Pablo Picasso

Thursday nights are late nights at the Dallas Museum of Art, so tonight we braved traffic, grabbed some takeout, and headed downtown. I have been intending to take the kids over to the Arts District in Dallas. We normally go to the Kimbell or Modern Art Museum in Ft. Worth -- they've never before been to the DMA or the Nasher in Dallas. Tonight was the night.

We arrived to find an exhibit of 2000 year old Greek frescoes and sculpures that had been buried under volcanic debris from an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Because it was a special exhibit, there was a film that showed a computer generated volcanic explosion, and that was all that was needed to grab the kids attention.

After that, we headed to the European Art section. Bub brought with him a library book about art that we had been reading together and talking about. I had already been using the book to talk to him about form and perspective, but it was much easier for him to understand when we were in front of a 7 foot tall painting.

"See here how the artist uses this line of the building and this arm to draw your eye to the center so you focus on the point of conflict and understand the focus of his work?" asks Mommy.
"Uh-huh," replies Child.

I guess that's the best I'll get until I can get him to write an essay.

I pointed out Pointellism, and various other styles of art in the book. He was truly interested and had already begun to emulate different types of paintings with a crayon medium on manila. He prefers to replicate modern art.

As he carried the book around, a docent noticed him and went through the book with him to direct him to the sections where he would find representations of his favorite pieces. That was very exciting. It was like a Where's Waldo of the fine art world. We never found one identical to any of the pieces in the book, but we found a Picasso that was very, very close. One really amazing thing was that Bub recognized the artist on his own and then showed me the work in the book. He realized the similarities without prompting.

We all enjoyed the various pieces of art, and finished off the night by eating sweets in the restaurant while listening to a three-piece jazz ensemble. These are some of my favorite shots from the day:

(Pointing out Picasso to Gracie)

(A Greek Urn --

Not quite like the one in the book, but close.)

(Look, Bubba)

(I'm so glad this sculpture didn't prompt a discussion about anatomy!)

(Self-portrait of a lovely girl)

(Brownies and a Jazz Band. How sweet it is!)